2 . Some documents have been making the rounds lately — where people who work various positions in different industries share how much they’re paid.

Bravo! It’s about time we blew up that old belief that salaries have to stay secret. This is not just a matter of curiosity. Having information about salaries can help narrow the gender wage gap, which has barely changed for more than a decade. Recently released date from the US Census Bureau shows that, on average, women working full time still are paid only 82 cents for every dollar paid to a man. And the gap is even wider for many women of color: Black women make 62 cents, and Latinas just 54 cents. What’s more, the pay gap even extends into her retirement. Because she earned less and therefore paid less to the social security system, she receives less in social security benefits.

Having greater access to salary information is helping to speed things up. A new research report by the American Association of University Women shows that the wage gap tends to be smaller in job sectors where pay transparency (透明) is a must. For example, among federal government workers, there’s just a 13 percent pay difference between men and women, and in state government, the gap is about 17 percent. But in private, for-profit companies, where salaries are generally kept under wraps, the gender wage gap jumps to 29 percent.

Fortunately, salary information is increasingly available on some websites. Certain companies and many human resources departments are pushing ahead with this practice. Of course, it’s going to take more than salary transparency to equalize earnings between women and men. But sharing salaries can and must be part of the solution. The more information women have about how jobs are valued — and what different people earn — the better they will understand their value in the labor market and be able to push for the pay they deserve.

A third-grade class knows exactly what will brighten an older neighbor’s holiday meal-and it isn’t a roast turkey. In October, I told the eight-year-olds I taught in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, about my plan. “I’d like all of you to do extra jobs around the house to earn some money, ”I said. “Then we’ll buy food for a Thanksgiving dinner for someone who might not have a nice dinner otherwise.”

I wanted the children to experience that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. I wanted them to understand that religion is more than nice theological (神学的) ideas; that people somehow have to make it come alive.

Early in Thanksgiving week, the boys and girls arrived in class with their hard-earned money and couldn’t wait to go shopping. After pacing up and down in the supermarket, we put a turkey and decorations in the shopping cart (购物车). At last we headed toward the checkout, and then someone spotted a “necessity” that sent them racing. “Flowers!”

“We have Kristine cried. The group rushed toward the holiday plants. I pronounced, limited money and after all, you can’t eat flowers.”“But Mrs. Sherlock, ” the group replied, looking at me eagerly, “we want flowers.”Defeated, sighed as the children put a bunch of pink roses into the cart.

An organization had given us the name and address of Maria, a needy grandmother who had lived alone for many years. Soon we were bouncing along a rough road to her house. We finally pulled up in front of a small house in the woods. A thin woman with a tired face came to the door to welcome us.

My little group hurried to get the food. As each box was carried in, the old woman kept saying “Thanks”一much to the visitors’ pleasure. When Amy put the pink roses on the table, the woman seemed surprised. She was wishing it was a bag of flour, I thought. Having talked for a while, we returned to the car.

9 . Larry gave us “Direction” in more ways than he could ever know. For the better part of 35 years, Larry’s life has been ________ to searching out the finest music and then sharing his treasured   ________through teaching and directing students and adults alike —always seeking that moment of perfection in ________ and always encouraging and inspiring others to seek that same perfection, both in the performance, and in themselves.

________did he ever realize, that this powerful effect would be greater than the moments ________ practicing a play and fine-tuning the music and would ________ and beyond into other aspects of people’s lives.

For what Larry ________ he was teaching us were the notes and tones and key signature. What he really ________ us, was how to push and extend beyond our own noticed limitations, stand ________ and firm and of great determination at the same time, and — in spite of inner ________—breathe out that note ________ in a clever way that, with angelic________, would go beyond the moment, stay in the air between here and ________, and touch both heart and soul with its ________and perfection.

Larry has been a friend and advisor, teacher and choir ________. He has inspired hundreds of students who, ________ by his direction, have been ________ by the sharing of his gifts and strong feeling of ________for music, and have all been made ________ in spirit, more sure of self and stronger in ________, because of it.

I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time together.

With best wishes!

Yours truly,

Li Hua